2021–2024 · Motocross · Buyer's Guide
Total Redesign, Zero Compromise
The 2021 CRF450R is a ground-up redesign, and the headline is the chassis. A new aluminum twin-spar frame and revised geometry give it real cornering precision, the kind that lets you set a line through a rut or berm and hold it without fighting the bike. The 450cc single makes 53 hp through a broad, usable powerband that pulls from low in the rev range and keeps climbing. At 244 lb wet it sits among the lighter machines in the motocross class, and that low mass shows up everywhere you change direction.
On track it rewards a rider who carries speed and trusts the front end, which is exactly who it's built for: the racer or serious club-level MXer living at the gate. It rewards maintenance too, because this is a high-strung competition engine, not a trail companion. The honest caveats are real. Honda dropped traction control for this generation, the 1.7 gal (6.4 L) tank keeps motos short, and there's a safety recall on the drive chain you must confirm has been addressed before you ride. Sort those, and the package is sharp.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 53 hp (39 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 36 lb-ft (49 Nm) @ 9,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 450 cc |
| Engine | Single-cylinder |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 5-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 260 mm |
| Front tire | 80/100-21 |
| Rear tire | 120/80-19 |
| Wheelbase | 58.3 in (1481 mm) |
| Ground clearance | 13.2 in (335 mm) |
| Front travel | 12.2 in (310 mm) |
| Rear travel | 12.4 in (315 mm) |
| Seat height | 37.8 in (960 mm) |
| Wet weight | 244 lb (111 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 1.7 gal (6.4 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Safety
Drive chain may break without warning
Honda issued a voluntary recall on certain 2021 CRF450R motorcycles because the drive chain could break during normal use, increasing crash risk. Affected units require a chain replacement at an authorised dealer.
Engine stalling or hesitation at low RPM
Several owners and testers report sporadic bogging, stalling or hesitation when exiting corners at low engine speed, often attributed to fuel delivery or ECU mapping. Installing an aftermarket fuel‑management system or remapping can mitigate the issue.
Where this Honda CRF 450 R pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the CRF 450 R is actually built for.
If your weekends run from training laps to race day, this is right in your wheelhouse. The precise chassis, light weight, and track focus suit a committed MXer, as long as you keep up the maintenance a race engine needs.
Made for Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area · Fox Raceway at Pala · Glen Helen Raceway
You can ride technical terrain on it, and the agility helps, but this is a pure motocrosser. The 1.7 gal (6.4 L) tank and race-only focus make it a hard pick for real desert distance or multi-day routes.
Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2017–2020
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Honda CRF 450 R. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
